Beijing’s air quality

PM2.5 is a name given to atmospheric particles that produce haze and reduce visibility. PM2.5 has dropped by 16.7% in Beijing compared to this same time period last year. About 50 micro grams per cubic meter according to the Beijing Municipal Environment Protection Bureau.

Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and PM10 levels are also down by 6 micrograms, 38 micrograms and 77 micrograms respectively. 33%, 15.6% and 14.4%.

Parenting and social/antisocial behavior

Less parental warmth and more harshness in the home environment affect how aggressive children become and whether they lack empathy and a moral compass, a study shows.

Researchers at the University of Michigan (UM), University of Pennsylvania and Michigan State University studied 227 pairs of identical twins.

They analyzed small differences in the parenting that each twin experienced to determine whether these differences predict the likelihood of antisocial behaviors emerging.

They found that the twin who experienced stricter or harsher treatment and less emotional warmth from parents had a greater chance of showing aggression and a lack of empathy and moral compass, a set of characteristics known as callous-unemotional (CU) traits.

Parents of the twins completed a 50-item questionnaire about the home environment. They also established their harshness and warmth levels by rating 24 statements such as “I often lose my temper with my child” and “My child knows I love him/her.”

The researchers assessed child behavior by asking the mother to report on 35 traits related to aggression and CU traits.

“The study convincingly shows that parenting, and not just genes, contributes to the development of risky callous-unemotional traits,” said Luke Hyde, UM associate professor of psychology. “Because identical twins have the same DNA, we can be more sure that the differences in parenting the twins received affects the development of these traits.”